The invention generally relates to a loading ramp deck for intermodal cars. More particularly, the invention relates to a base platform for the retractable loading ramp deck of an intermodal railway vehicle.
The following background information is provided to assist the reader to understand the environment in which the invention will typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless specifically stated otherwise in this document.
Intermodal transport, the movement of highway trailers by rail, has been known for many years. Typically, such trailers are loaded onto flat rail cars by well known devices such as cranes, high lift trucks, and/or wedge shaped ramps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,206 to Engle shows a method and apparatus for loading and unloading semi-trailers on a train of flat cars by coupling the semi-trailers to power driven stanchions. Loading ramps are provided for enabling the stanchions to load the semi-trailers onto the flat cars.
Loading devices such as shown by Engle and other well known devices such as cranes and high lift trucks are expensive and are not readily available at all rail yards. Therefore, there is a need in the art for inexpensive, portable, lightweight loading ramps which can travel with the intermodal railway vehicle so that the trailers may be readily loaded and unloaded at a variety of locations. The ramp must be capable of withstanding a great amount of stress and have excellent torsional rigidity and shear flow.
It is, therefore, an objective of the invention to provide a loading ramp deck for an intermodal car which is lightweight, inexpensive, and exceptionally strong.
Another objective is to provide a loading ramp deck which has high torsional rigidity and bending strength.
Yet another objective is to provide a loading ramp deck which provides excellent shear flow due to its multi-cell cross-section.
In addition to the objectives and advantages listed above, various other objectives and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art from a reading of the detailed description section of this document. The other objectives and advantages will become particularly apparent when the detailed description is considered along with the drawings and claims presented herein.
The foregoing objectives and advantages are attained by the various embodiments of the invention summarized below.
A loading ramp deck for intermodal cars comprises a plurality of tubular members. Each of these tubular members comprises a first end, a second end, a top wall, a bottom wall and longitudinal side walls. The top, bottom and side walls extend between the first and second ends. The tubular members are positioned next to each other such that the longitudinal side walls are adjacently disposed with respect to each other. A joining means is provided for joining the plurality of tubular members to each other along their adjacently disposed longitudinal side walls to form a loading ramp deck having a predetermined width.
A method of forming the lightweight loading ramp deck comprises the steps of providing a plurality of tubular members. Each of the tubular members comprising a first end, a second end, a top wall, a bottom wall, and longitudinal side walls. The top, bottom and side walls extending between the first and second ends. Positioning the tubular members such that the longitudinal side walls are adjacently disposed with respect to each other and joining the tubular members to each other along their adjacently disposed longitudinal side walls to form a loading ramp deck having a predetermined width.
This loading ramp deck is capable of being used with a retractable loading ramp. The retractable loading ramp is attached to an intermodal car such that it may deployed as needed to enable loading of trailers onto the intermodal car at any location. The loading ramp deck may subsequently be retracted during movement of the car such as during transport of the trailers and once again deployed for unloading at the desired destination.